A. punish B. punishing C. punishes D. punished
A. punish
B. punishing
C. punishes
D. punished
Passage Three
A group of scientists rowing toward the center of a lake saw something shocking. They turned back as fast as they could. What had they seen.? The lake was boiling!
The group was investigating a crater lake in the mountains of St. Vincent. A crater lake is the mouth of a volcano that has been dormant for some time and has filled with water.
This particular crater was the tip of a volcano called Soufriere, which erupted last in 1902. Since that time, it had not shown any signs of action. But in the fall of 1971, mountain climbers who had hiked near the lake returned to the lowlands with strange stories. They said the water had turned yellow and was giving off a smell like burnt eggs. A seething fog was rising from the lake's surface.
Local scientists rushed to Soufriere to see if this might be the beginning of a new volcanic explosion. They found a huge black mass in the middle of the water. It was a great blob 1,000 feet long and 300 feet wide. Lava had pushed up through the bottom of the lake and formed a new island.
The investigators wanted to make sure that the volcano was safe, and that the lava would not over- flow into the surrounding countryside. But they could never reach the island to study it, because the lava was so hot that the water around it bubbled and boiled.
44. This passage is about ______.
A. mountain climbing
B. a boiling lake
C. a new volcanic island
D. a mysterious blob
Passage Four
Have you ever heard of a flower whose seeds are carried and spread by elephants? The rafflesia, a rare blossom, is very unusual. Found in the rain forests of Sumatra, the rafflesia is the world's largest flower, measuring three feet in diameter!
This giant flower is a parasite--it needs another plant to live on. It lacks the structures needed to survive alone. The rafflesia has no stem or leaves. It is all flower. It attaches itself to the roots of other plants and sucks their juices. The flower's favorite home is the root of the vine, which grows above ground.
The rafflesia seems to burst right out of the forest floor. Its blossom weighs fifteen pounds! It has thick, spotted petals that give off a rotten smell. The center is about the size of a household bucket. After a rain, it may hold up to twelve pints of water!
After the rafflesia dies, it becomes a pool of thick liquid in which its seeds float. Elephants wandering through the forest step into the mushy pool, and the seeds glue themselves to their feet. As the animals stomp through the forest, their sticky feet pick up twigs and leaves. The elephants try to rid themselves of the sticky mess, in the same way people try to get bubble gum off their shoes. The elephants rub their feet against the roots of the vine. In no time, seeds left on the vine grow into more monstrous flowers!
48. Elephants help to ______.
A. provide food for the giant flower
B. water the rafflesia with their trunks
C. carry rafflesia seeds from one place to another
D. stomp out the awful smelling petals
Passage Two
The other day I heard an American say to a Chinese student of English "You speak very good English." But the student answered, "No, no. My English is very poor." The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the student had not heard him clearly, he said, "Yes indeed, you speak English very well." But the Chinese student still kept saying "No". In the end the foreigner gave up and was at a loss what to say. What's wrong with the student's answer? It is because he did not accept a compliment(赞美的话)as the English people do. He should have said "Thank you" instead of "No". He actually understood what the American had said. But he thought he should be modest. If he said "Thank you", that would mean he was too proud. According to the western culture, if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say "Thank you". If someone says to a Woman "You look so beautiful with the new clothes on", she should be very happy and answer "Thank you". In our country we think being modest is a virtue and showing off a bad thing. But in the west, if you are modest and say "No, I'm afraid I can't do it well", then the others will take it for granted that you really cannot do it. If you often say "No", you will certainly be looked down upon by others. When asking for a job, if one says something like "Let me have a try on the job" instead of "Yes, I can certainly do it," he or she will never expect to get it. So in the west one should always be confident. Without self-confidence, he cannot go anywhere. Confidence is of great importance to one in a country where competition is quite keen.
40. Why was the American surprised at the Chinese student's answer?
A. Because he wondered whether the student could really speak good English.
Because he could hardly hear what the student had said.
C. Because he wouldn't like others to say "No".
D. Because the way to accept a compliment in China is not the same as that in the western countries.